When a Hero Falls
by Orion Snodgrass
Summary: When Captain Falcon dies, Rick Wheeler returns the helmet to the Smashers, who find a recording he made for each of them in the event of his death.
1. Chapter 1

Rick Wheeler sat in the Dragonbird, staring out at Smash Mansion. He wasn't sure how they would take it. He was still a wreck from Captain Falcon's death. No greater man had ever lived. Before his death, Falcon had proclaimed Wheeler the new Captain Falcon. It was a great honor, and Rick would live to uphold the ideals Andy Summer fought for, but he wouldn't replace him. He couldn't bring himself to wear the helmet. It was sacrilegious. So he brought it here.

He opened the cockpit, and stepped out, walking toward the door, carrying the helmet close. As he approached the massive door, he took in a deep breath, exhaling as he knocked on it thrice. After the resounding boom quieted for a moment, it slowly opened. A small Italian opened the door. He wore mostly red, with some overalls, and a small red cap with an "M" sat squarely on his head. Though usually a jolly fellow, Mario, as well as the other Smashers, had lost someone who was incredibly important to them. Mario glanced at the helmet and sighed.

"Please, come-a in," Mario said quietly, gesturing toward the nearby living room, a large expanse with huge televisions and other entertainment. No revelry was happening, though. All the Smashers sat quietly, huddled around a couch and staring at the TV, faces ashen. The TV echoed through the room with the sound of Jody Summer's voice.

"My brother was a good man. He was willing to die for me once, and he died for us all again. My hope is that the legacy of Andy, of Captain Falcon, lives on far into the future, inspiring the goodness within us all. He was everything we should be- strong, selfless, smart, humble, and kind. Forever he will be my hero."

Rick's heart hurt for Jody. Now, she had lost her brother twice. He restrained tears, but many of the Smashers did not. Samus Aran was completely broken. Even Boswer was in a despondent silence. Snake was nowhere to be seen. He let them mourn a while, until they were ready for him. After a few minutes, the fighters began to notice him, and the helm in his hands. Fox McCloud requested to see the helm, and Rick handed it off. Fox stroked the golden falcon encrusted on the helm."Goodbye, buddy," he choked, and handed it to Ness. It slowly made it's way though the fighters, lastly making it to Samus. She held it tightly to her chest, weeping bitterly. Peach, Zelda, Rosalina, and Lucina tried to console her, but to no avail. Rick didn't know what else to do here, so he made a silent getaway. Samus ran to her room with the helm, nearly knocking down Snake, who had finally came stumbling out of his room, his shirt stained with tears and whiskey.


	2. Chapter 2

Samus couldn't stop the heartache she felt. She couldn't believe that Andy was gone. He was the last person she ever thought would die in combat. The Star Fox members, perhaps. Maybe Snake, or Marth. But not Falcon. He was too good at what he did. He was too good in general. She felt as if a great light had gone out in the universe.

He had been the only one to ever make her feel something more for someone. She had assumed that people in general were selfish and cruel, and the good few were beaten down to near-extinction. Then he came along, and turned her world upside down. He was beyond kind. His wealth was used for other's benefit. Ness, Lucas, Nana, and Popo were all cared for by him, and there was never something that was too much to ask for from him. If someone needed help, he was there. One day, Samus had responded to a distress beacon and found a space station overwhelmed by pirates. She did her usual "clean-up", but soon found herself overwhelmed by massive numbers of pirates. Her suit was almost destroyed, and she was knocked unconscious. She had brought her Pikachu with her, and it held off the pirates long enough for Falcon to also notice a distress beacon. He came by and found Samus, carrying her out of that hellhole, but took three shots in the back while carrying her. She awoke to Falcon passing out in the Falcon Flyer, having barely set the autopilot after trekking three miles through a space station with three gunshot wounds to the back. After that, Samus had realized she loved him. She had tried to show it, but he was reclusive.

She was completely heartbroken, unable to handle this pain she felt. As the tears returned, she cried out an enraged scream as she swiped the table she was sitting at, knocking the helmet to the ground. The black visor's eyes lit up, and the falcon split slowly, revealing a holographic projector. It too lit up, and a human form slowly manifested. Andy Summer looked forward. It was strange to see him without the helmet, but he had recorded this with the helm, requiring to take it off. His silky brown hair was slightly mussed up from the helm, and the scar on his left eye was visible. He wore the rest of his familiar uniform, but it seemed foreign without the helm.

"My name is Andy Summer, but those watching probably know me better as Captain Falcon. This series of messages is only to be released upon my death."

The video cut there. The projector suddenly bathed the room in blue, gridded light, scanning Samus. It stopped in a minute, beeping twice. The projector returned the holographic form of Andy.

"This message is for Samus Aran. I'm not sure how hard you're taking this. I know that you feel something for me. I feel something also. I dare say that I love you. I'm sorry I wasn't able to show you. I know it hurt you when I didn't accept your affection, but it was for your protection. I have cut myself off from everyone I've ever cared about because there are those who will stop at nothing to get me. I couldn't bear the thought of Black Shadow getting his hands on you. It hurt me to have to do that. You probably understand how lonely that is, to be completely isolated from everyone. Now that I am gone, though, I can say that I love you. One of my regrets is that I wasn't able to be the one for you. I know it's hard, but be that strong woman I know so well. You have done amazing things, and I know you will do more. Perhaps you legacy can surpass mine. I hope so. Samus, I love you. I always will. Falcon out." Andy reached forward, and the video stopped.

Samus was breathless. She wished so badly Andy was here. As the tears once again flowed, She sank to her knees, clutching the helmet against her chest.

Outside the Smash Mansion, a man in a black, hooded robe with a red trim stared into the window. It was nighttime, and his face wasn't visible, but if one were to see his face, they might see a look of pain, and regret. The eyes showed a struggle inside to reveal oneself, or remain hidden. This was only momentary, and the Berserker walked away, silent.


	3. Chapter 3

Snake sat in a desk chair, sullen and very drunk. He took the last gulp of his sixth bottle of whiskey, then threw it against the wall, smashing it like the other five. 'Get a hold of yourself,' he thought, 'You're job is all about death,'. But this he couldn't take. Falcon was dead, of all people. His best friend, one of the few who actually got him. Why is it that the good guys are always the ones to be taken out? If only Falcon hadn't gone to stop Black Shadow, he wouldn't have... no that was the whiskey talking... of course Falcon had to, it was the only way. But why? For what reason? Evil was vanquished, but at the cost of good. Both had been destroyed, only for some other maniac to rise one day, then the cycle would repeat. This thinking made Snake's head hurt, so he opened another bottle. Maybe if he got drunk enough, he would forget Falcon entirely, and not hurt anymore.

A few hours later, Snake left his room, a drunken, distraught mess. He stumbled through the halls, one thing on his mind: the helmet. Sam had the helmet, and he wanted it. Needed it. It was the only thing left of Falcon. After an alcohol-induced confusion that made the familiar mansion a maze to him, he crashed about eventually slamming into a door and falling into a fighter's bedroom. He slowly got to his feet, then looked around to get his bearings. It belonged to a female, evidenced by it's cleanliness and a faint feminine decor. He saw the Paralyzer lying on a nearby desk, and realized where he was. He whirled around, almost stumbling over himself, and saw the helm lying on Sam's bed. Without thinking, he grabbed it, and ran manically to his room. He tripped on a bottle that hadn't broken against the wall, slamming into the floor. He dropped Falcon's helmet, and it hit the floor with a thud. Then it lit up. Snake sat up, puzzled and curious, and he righted the helmet as a projector protruded from the helm. Light bathed him as the helmet scanned the room, and then a hologram formed. Falcon appeared, but without a helmet.

"Hey Snake," Falcon said, with a sigh, "I don't know how your taking this. After all, you deal in death. You lose people you know all the time. Occupational hazard, I guess."

"Yeah..." Snake replied, and even his drunken mind chastised him for talking to a hologram.

"Well, I wanted you to know," Falcon choked, "That you were probably one of the best friends I have ever had. We've had some great times together, we've gone through some tough things together. Despite how staggeringly different we are, something just clicked between us. I don't know someone I could trust anyone as much as you. You knew my secret, who I really was, and you never gave that up. Thank you for that."

Snake's shoulders heaved with sobs. This was something he needed to hear. In Snake's line of work, trust wasn't something that was given often. Nor was friendship. But Falcon had trusted him completely, telling him things that if Snake were to tell anyone, could cost Falcon his life.

The hologram flickered, and Falcon looked up again.

"Hey Snake."

"Yeah?"

"Look after Sam for me, will you?"

Snake chuckled for a moment. "Sure thing, bud." He lifted up a bottle, tilting it towards his lips. He stopped and thought for a moment, and set the bottle down, not a drop reaching his tongue. He got up, picked up the helmet, and decided to go check on Samus.


	4. Chapter 4

While Ness and Lucas ran around with Nana, Popo sat at a nearby table, arms crossed, and a frown across his face. He wished Falcon was there. Captain Falcon had been like the father he had never had. He remembered the first time he had met legend himself.

Popo had gotten lost in the mansion, and somehow found his way to the garage, which was more like a space station with its size. Of all the vehicles strewn about, one stood out. The Blue Falcon. There was something comforting about the sleek blue machine that made him feel safe. He had reached up with a mitten-encased hand to touch the "07" symbol on the left rudder, attracted to its worn design. A voice, deep, commanding, yet kind spoke out right as he touched it.

"It's a real beauty, isn't it?"

Popo, turned around, his face pale and his body trembling.

"I... I only touched it mister... I didn't break anything..."

Falcon had chuckled at that.

"Kid, if I got a credit for every time someone touched her, I could retire. Say, what's your name again?"

"Um... Popo."

"Oh, yeah! The Ice Climber duo. The other one is your sister, right? You guys are pretty amazing for people your age. Most adults wouldn't go toe-to-toe with Bowser in a match, let alone win."

Popo had smiled at that. A real hero was standing before him, and he said Popo was amazing.

"You want to ride in her?" Falcon had asked, pointing to the Blue Falcon. Popo nodded enthusiastically, and Falcon opened the cockpit, and got in. Without a second seat, Popo had to sit in Falcon's lap. When the machine roared to life, it felt like it jumped into the air as the hovering mechanism kicked in. Captain Falcon blasted out of the garage at a gazillion miles an hour, and Popo could feel the pressure of the speed. Falcon took a long loop around the mansion, and Popo stared out the windows as the world outside appeared as a blur to him. As he continued to watch, things seemed to slow down and become more detailed, and he felt like he was seeing things like Falcon. Life was never too fast for him, the invincible hero.

Popo started to cry again, the remembrance once again reminding him that Falcon was gone. The other kids saw him and tried to console him, but their playful mood was gone again as they were also reminded that Falcon was gone.

The door to the Play Room was opened, and Snake walked in. He was loopy, and somewhat sad looking. He was acting weird, and Peach had told Popo that was because Snake was something called 'drunk'. He was holding a big red thing, and Popo went to look closer at it.

"Is uh... Is Samus here?" Snake asked, eyes half-closed. The kids shook their heads. Popo grabbed the helmet, and Snake halfheartedly let it go.

"Be... uh... Be careful with that... It's..."

"I know, mister." Popo, replied, then held the helmet up to his eye level. The other children crowded around him, and Snake watched, absent-minded. Popo set the helmet on the table, and looked at it closely. The golden knob on the left looked slightly sunken. He touched it, and it slightly depressed, then the visor and the falcon lit up, and the holographic projector revealed itself once more.

"Hey kids. It's me. Falcon. I know none of you have ever seen me without my helmet. I wear to protect people. If you're watching this, then, well... I'm gone. You all know who I am. A racer, a bounty hunter. Yeah, it's cool. It's fun. But, there are some things I can't do. I can't have a family. Or, at least, I thought I couldn't. But, I met you. I love the whole family here, but there is a certain magic to children. I thought I was happy before..." A tear rolled down Falcon's smiling face.

"But now, you guys are my life. I don't want to go when I do. But, I fight on, if only to ensure you will grow up and be happy, too. I wish you all the best. I wish I could be there right now. I really do. But, the inevitable happens. So, I guess this is goodb-" Falcon began to cry on the screen, silent sobs. Even though this was made before his death, a good time before, the thought of leaving his family at the Smash Mansion tore at him. After a minute, his arm reached up, and the hologram died away. Popo hugged the helmet, tears rolling. The others had joined him in a tearful group hug, while Snake staggered away, in a sorrowful stupor.


	5. Chapter 5

Popo had gathered everyone together in the main room to show them something. Everyone clustered on the couches, waiting to see what the child wanted to show them. After everyone was settled, he began to speak.

"I want to show you something." He said, then set the helmet on the table, visor facing them.

Mario stood up. "We've-a already seen-a that. There's-a no need to-a remind us about it."

"No, this is different. Let me show you." Popo replied, and pressed the left knob, and the hologram projector appeared once more.

Everyone leaned forward, staring at the image of the helmetless Falcon.

"A friend once told me that combat formed the greatest bonds. He said, that in conflict, we see people as they truly are, and we learn to trust them like never before," Captain Falcon's voice broke out from the blue digital form. "I never believed him. Not until we came together. Super Smash has brought me something I never thought I could have again, something I had denied myself for my own protection: family. Even those who are enemies in their own land, have attained a new respect for each other here," Link and Ganondorf looked at each other, silently nodding. "We've had our rivalries, but when it came down to it, we were all on the same side. We cared for each other when worst came to worst. Back in Mute City, I lived alone, just waiting for the next race or bounty. Here, I looked forward to every day with you all. I felt that here, we had something else. A love for each other, maybe?" All the Smashers nodded, many now teary-eyed.

"I know that you all are struggling with me being gone now. I hope that you can pull through and continue what you are doing. Know that in heart and mind, I am with you. What you have here, don't ever give it up. Pass it on. Grow it. Just, don't ever lose sight of it. Because it's more than just some fights. We, we are a family. Don't ever break the family. I love you all."

The hologram died away. The Smashers leaned inward in a group embrace, comforted as much by each other as with Falcon's words.

The Beserker stared through the window, smiling. They would recover. And maybe, just maybe, if things worked out, he could return.


	6. Chapter 6

Popo ran around the Mansion, frantic. Samus and Snake joined him, searching for the helm of Captain Falcon. It had turned up missing over the night. After a while, all the Smashers searched, but to no avail.

Samus kept looking, going to her room to see if she might have put it there. No sign of it, but there was something on her desk. An advertisement for today's F-Zero Grand Prix in Mute City. And on the bottom was written: Find the Helm.

Samus ran out, screaming for everyone to find the nearest spaceship for a field trip to Mute City.

A few hours later, the Smashers had trouble fighting through fans to find seats at the Grand Prix. Each chose seats spread out through the track, though close together enough to be able to communicate, looking through the crowds for whatever thief would dare take such a valuable memoriam.

Samus found herself looking at the track, at the racers. She knew Falcon loved the sport. He often made it a point to enter last-second just to make an entrance for the fans. She saw Rick Wheeler's Dragonbird waiting, along with the rest of the Mobile Task Force. Zoda drove up, joining the racers.

Then, an explosion rocked the stadium. It seemed more dramatic than damaging, as a large red machine came speeding in. Then, it changed. It became a familiar, blue, sleek machine. Her anger burned as she saw someone replicate His machine. The cockpit opened, and a black robed and hooded man stood. Then, he reached down at the hood, lifting up, and throwing it off of him. A tall, muscular figure in blue revealed itself, and the helm was upon his head. He looked up at Samus and winked. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

Her mind didn't have the chance to respond as the machines roared to life and sped down the track. Rick Wheeler shot ahead of the group, but Falcon soon overpassed him in a blue blur of pure speed. None of the other racers came close to Falcon, and Rick Wheeler held up on tailing Falcon until he spun out on a drift near the last stretch, and Falcon screamed onward to victory.

The Smashers tried to approach Falcon on the victory pedestal, but found it more difficult than they thought to wade through the crowd. Samus knew of only one other place to find him later, and see if it really was him.


	7. Chapter 7

Popo ran around the Mansion, frantic. Samus and Snake joined him, searching for the helm of Captain Falcon. It had turned up missing over the night. After a while, all the Smashers searched, but to no avail.

Samus kept looking, going to her room to see if she might have put it there. No sign of it, but there was something on her desk. An advertisement for today's F-Zero Grand Prix in Mute City. And on the bottom was written: Find the Helm.

Samus ran out, screaming for everyone to find the nearest spaceship for a field trip to Mute City.

A few hours later, the Smashers had trouble fighting through fans to find seats at the Grand Prix. Each chose seats spread out through the track, though close together enough to be able to communicate, looking through the crowds for whatever thief would dare take such a valuable memoriam.

Samus found herself looking at the track, at the racers. She knew Falcon loved the sport. He often made it a point to enter last-second just to make an entrance for the fans. She saw Rick Wheeler's Dragonbird waiting, along with the rest of the Mobile Task Force. Zoda drove up, joining the racers.

Then, an explosion rocked the stadium. It seemed more dramatic than damaging, as a large red machine came speeding in. Then, it changed. It became a familiar, blue, sleek machine. Her anger burned as she saw someone replicate His machine. The cockpit opened, and a black robed and hooded man stood. Then, he reached down at the hood, lifting up, and throwing it off of him. A tall, muscular figure in blue revealed itself, and the helm was upon his head. He looked up at Samus and winked. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

Her mind didn't have the chance to respond as the machines roared to life and sped down the track. Rick Wheeler shot ahead of the group, but Falcon soon overpassed him in a blue blur of pure speed. None of the other racers came close to Falcon, and Rick Wheeler held up on tailing Falcon until he spun out on a drift near the last stretch, and Falcon screamed onward to victory.

The Smashers tried to approach Falcon on the victory pedestal, but found it more difficult than they thought to wade through the crowd. Samus knew of only one other place to find him later, and see if it really was him.


	8. Chapter 8

Andy Summer waved as Rick Wheeler walked out of the Falcon House, then turned to the sink and began cleaning a mug. As he was wiping it off with a small white rag, he sensed something. Looking out the window, he saw a small, familiar crowd edging toward the Falcon House. He reached below the counter, and placed a tray on the tabletop, with filled coffee mugs around a red helmet.

Samus Aran entered first, and ran up to embrace him, then the other Smashers followed, many also embracing him. After all the Smashers came in, he saw another figure in the door, one he didn't expect. Jody Summer waited silently in the doorway for he brother, twice returned from death. He made his way over, and embraced her, smiling.

"It's okay, Sis. I'm still here."

Jody looked up at him, teary-eyed.

"Can we be a family again?"

Andy looked around the room, with many eyes looking back at him with the same question.

"I'd love nothing more than that."

A cheer erupted in the coffee shop, and the group embraced him with the love of a family. To them, he was a father, a brother, a friend, and for Samus, a lover. And they were never letting go of that again.


End file.
